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Walsh: Boston readying crackdown on large parties, covidiot events in city parks
By adamg on Thu, 10/15/2020 - 1:27pm
Mayor Walsh said today that city health, police and parks officials are readying a system to crackdown on violations of state and city Covid-19 regulations that will likely include increased checks of both local businesses and private parties, a new fine system and, if that isn't enough, new shutdowns of parks with repeated problems.
At a City Hall press conference today, Walsh said he basically doesn't want to come back there and turn this city around, but that growing Covid-19 numbers and increasing complaints about house parties - in particular in South Boston - are leaving the city with little choice if it wants to avoid a widescale shutdown like the one that went into effect in March.
Young people in particular, he said, need to do their part. "I certainly understand the need to socialize," but for now, that should be over Zoom, not crowded into a poorly ventilated room without a mask or jammed together at an "unpermitted event" in a city park, he said.
New Boston Covid-19 cases are now concentrated among young people, but Boston is unlikely to avoid national trends that show such waves eventually spread from them to older, more vulnerable residents, he said.
Walsh said City Hall will soon unveil final details of the new enforcement plan, but he said one likely component will be a scale of fines - and enforcement of it. He said that with parties, tenants who throw them will be looking at fines - but potentially so could their landlords.
He said that police and parks employees will try to break up knots of people at parks, but cautioned, "if we have to shut parks down, we will," he said.
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Comments
I'll believe it
when I see it.
Given the city's track record,
I'll believe it when I see it. We all were made aware of the large crowds this past summer at M Street Beach. It received a fair amount of media attention. Nothing came of it.
Now we have a situation that has been growing since this summer. Large outdoor (and indoor) parties. There have been calls made to both 911 and 311 about these gatherings. Up until now not much has been done about it outside of lip service from city hall.
I'm at a point where I have trouble believing anyone. But it seems to me that by and large, we are dealing with the actions and the consequences of those actions by people who don't care about anything or anyone besides themselves.
I'll keep my expectations low on this. That way there won't be any disappointment.
Will that include protests?
Seems we have had quite a few "large-scale" events that didn't get a mention in past months when it comes to preventing the spread of covid. Hmmm.
Just because you don't read the news ...
Doesn't mean things don't happen.
Yes, there were large protests in June. And pop-up testing aimed at protesters showed they had a lower positivity rate than among the general population (if you really care, I can point you to specific stories about this, but I'm guessing you don't).
That's in large part because BLM protesters (as opposed to Trumpie MAH FREEDUMBS screamers) wore masks. Which are also a proven way to reduce the spread, about which I could also post links, but, again, you don't really care, do u?
Other than “the data was
Other than “the data was utter bullshit” or “morally superior people can’t get COVID,” did the studies offer any explanation for why the positivity rate was lower?
Yes
Masks.
thank you
thank you
yes, masks
thank you
thank you
yes, masks
thank you
thank you
yes, masks
The good old translucent
The good old translucent masks
https://d279m997dpfwgl.cloudfront.net/wp/2016/10/1006_bu-blm-protest01.jpg
Call bull on that photo
I’d believe that photo if some of the people weren’t wearing masks, but not a single person in the entire crowd is wearing a mask. Which makes it certain that this is a BLM protest from before COVID. Check your sources or stop purposely posting BS
If this is the case,
then why isn't everything opening up with masks required since masks keep covid from spreading.
Why do I need to wear a
Why do I need to wear a seatbelt when my car has airbags?
If lighting a fire can keep you warm...
why don't we only heat all our buildings with wood fires?
Well...
One set of events (protests) took place out of doors, were one-time events and mostly lasted only a few hours. "Everything", by which you probably mean bars serving shitty fried mozzarella sticks, takes place indoors, want to be open every day, and want people to stay as long as possible. And you know what? Places like that can be open now. Movie theaters can be open now. It's probably not a wise move, but...I don't know, what do you want, mask-free choir practice?
Because masks don't "keep covid from spreading"
Because, masks don't keep covid from spreading, they significantly reduce the rate at which it spreads.
Of course you already knew that without me explaining, so I don't understand your motivation for posting the comment you posted.
All that's needed, however, is a minority of people
who test positive for Covid-19 to put others at risk, however. Moreover, many people who do test positive are asymptomatic (inotherwords, they're carrying the Covid-19 virus without knowing it.), and they can still infect other people.
Moreover, the Covid-19 virus is a hell of a lot more contagious and a hell of a lot deadlier than the annual seasonal flu(s) that hit us every fall and winter.
Gee, assuming you mean the
Gee, assuming you mean the BLM vigils? All that I have been to everyone has had masks...the only time i didn't see masks was when the whack-a-doodles blue-liners showed up at WR police station spewing their hate & spit.
It means ANYTHING, dumbass!
Kiss off!
As far as including large-scale protests goes,
It probably should include large-scale protests, as well.
If house parties are the problem
Why are they threatening to close parks?
Read
Because house parties are not the only problem Walsh talked about. He also specifically mentioned large gatherings at parks. There is more to a story than just the headline.
Well, I'd say that even in outdoor parks,
when people gather in large crowds, especially without wearing masks, people put themselves, as well as others, including family and neighbors at risk, as well. That being said, it's not just big house parties or crowded beaches that are the problem. That's why they're threatening to close down parks, as well.
But the problem isn’t the park
It’s the large gathering. Those gatherings can be broken up. Tougher for those on patrol to see large gatherings in, say, back yards than public parks. Methinks gatherings in back yards might have a greater potential for Covid spread than, say, dog walkers in a park.
and construction workers
Who work maskless, walk around neighborhoods, frequent restaurants and coffee shops...
I've also seen construction workers who walk around maskless,
don't social distance, and who frequent restaurants and coffee shops. They're stupid to do that. They put themselves, as well as their friends, neighbors and families at risk, also.
Instead of closing LoPresti Park
the cops should start fining the dozens of plague rats who hang out to play or watch soccer and basketball, all without masks. (Big goddamned hint: when the big overhead lights are on at night there's a game)
Don't punish those of us who wear masks every time we're there.
Plague rats????
Say what you really mean .
Well....
The trouble is, however, that even if people do wear masks, the idiots who don't wear masks put themselves, as well as the mask wearers, and their neighbors, friends, and families, at risks.
Atkinson St tents
Does this include the safe injection site recently relocated to Atkinson St
I remember when
the BPD was supposed to enforce the no house parties rule for BC. There have been huge house parties all through Brighton every Friday and Saturday night since the students returned. Not believing enforcement will happen.
Back last June
when we flattened the curve, it was a well known fact these selfish idiots would be the cause of the second wave. And here we are. I just hope they all go home to mom and dad so we can have a yuppie free weekend.
Good riddance to these selfish brats. Send them home
before they help spread the Covid-19 virus farther and make already-lousy situations a hell of a lot worse.
And again the most consistent
And again the most consistent daily large gathering of people not following the rules, the MBTA system, remains ignored and is the Teflon Don of the deadly pandemic.
MBTA
Maybe your experience has been different, but I've found mask compliance to be very good on the T - subway and bus. Not 100%, but there's few places that are. Should the T police be enforcing compliance - yes and I'm not sure they are (I haven't seen evidence of it anyway).
Compared to true indoor spaces, the T at least has some air flow with the doors opening at every stop.
The MBTA system is only one of the Teflon Dons
of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. The major Teflon Don of the deadly Covid-19 Pandemic is our present Administration in Washington, DC, in the White House.
As one who actual rides the T
Mask wearing is widespread.
There are those living in the suburbs who left Boston in the 1970s who are afraid to visit the city because it is too dangerous, despite the fact that crime is a fraction of what it was when they left. That’s who you sound like every time you write about mask wearing on the T.
I live in Quincy. I used to
I live in Quincy. I used to ride the T every day. I have ridden it a grand total of 6 times since March. On 4 of those 6 rides, there were maskless people in the car. Luckily, I was riding at offpeak hours and didn’t have to sit near them. But at rush hour, I would feel very unsafe.
And while I am out walking around my neighborhood, the number of maskless MBTA BUS DRIVERS I see is truly infuriating and appalling.
You are welcome to think I am making this up. But there are many people like me who are planning to work remotely through the pandemic and even beyond. The T will not get any of us back if it’s not safe to ride.
Oh, come on now, Waquiot!
I've lived in Somerville for the past 32 years, have absolutely no intention of leaving, and I won't ride the T, however, until things are more normal. I walk to many places, and, if I have appointments in Boston, I take the Lyft, which is a hell of a lot safer than Uber.
Again
You think the T is doing a horrible job with Covid because you think the T is doing a horrible job with Covid. People in Marshfield think Boston is unsafe because people in Marshfield think Boston is unsafe. Feel free not to ride the T (more room for the rest of us) but your comments on the T overall are not based on any facts, only on feelings. Some people prefer feelings to facts, and then there are the rest of us.
and construction workers
Who work maskless, walk around neighborhoods, frequent restaurants and coffee shops...
Ive been on numerous construction sites
Over the last few months I've been on numerous commercial construction sites over the last 3 months and they all have had protocols to temperature check and screen people that arrive onsite daily and even some companies use wrist bands to track who has been screened. Everyone also wears masks and when I asked about positive cases I was told there was one electrician that was positive that tested that way a few days after they left the site and no one else got it so in my experience construction workers have been successful. They are highly motivated by the fact they don't get paid if they don't work on site to follow protocols.
Mask adherence is down across the board
Living in Cambridge and not traveling into Boston during the pandemic I would say across the board people are not wearing masks as much as they were in June/July. I have seen lax mask adherence from white-collar workers, restaurant patrons/employees, joggers, fellow bikers, pedestrians of all shapes and sizes, elderly folks, teens, middle-aged peeps, students etc. From my own experience, I have learned it is a fallacy to blame one group. For example, while taking the Redline from Harvard to Kendall patrons without masks were limited to black male teens and 1 white construction worker. When I exited onto Kendall maskless folks ranged from professionals, techies, neighborhood folks, etc. The one group with fantastic mask adherence is South East Asians, hands down.
A lot of college students, btw, are just as bad in
that respect, if recent events at Northeastern University, BC, and Boston University indicate. Also, many students of these universities live off campus, which also puts many of the lifetime and longtime residents of these neighborhoods at risk, as well, especially older adults of 65 years of age or over, as well as people of all ages who have underlying health issues of some sort or other.